Put me in, Coach!

I spend a lot of time teaching dentists about the business roles they must take on in order to be effective business managers. “Coach” is one of those roles. But what does that really mean?

In the business world, the ‘coach approach’ is a phenomenon that is taking the corporate environment by storm. This is so because it works! It humanizes the workplace and it encourages high performance and leadership in every employee.

The coach approach is taking the corporate world by storm….because it works!

What is a coach approach?

It is a style of leadership with its foundation in a firm belief in the ability of others and a genuine desire to assist in their growth and development. Imagine being able to foster high performance in all your employees!

A coach approach involves letting go of an autocratic leadership style – no sergeant generals! It is a learned skill that means being curious, interested and present. It requires a paradigm shift from telling to asking. Rather than having all the right answers, it means asking the right questions (enabling your employees to think on their feet and share their input).

What can you do to incorporate a coach approach into your office?

Be curious and interested in your employees’ thoughts and ideas

Listen. Listen. Listen. Be present for answers to your questions.

Ask open ended questions (ones that cannot be answered by yes or no).

Believe in the inherent ability for your staff to figure things out for themselves

Know when to challenge

Give feedback gracefully and effectively

Listen for the values at stake in any conversation

Appreciate the strengths of others and be willing to build on those strengths

Bringing a coach approach into your office will increase your enjoyment of work, strengthen your relationships with your staff and create a culture in the office of collaboration and cooperation. You expect high performance of yourself in your technical work. That should overlap into your leadership skills. You can be an active catalyst in bringing out that same high performance in your staff by creating the right environment for that to happen naturally.

If you are interested in learning more about bringing a coaching culture into your office, please give me a call to learn more.